Our people

Professor William Rawlinson AM | Director of the VRL

MBBS BSc(Med) PhD(Cantab) FRACP FRCPA FF

Professor William Rawlinson AM is a senior medical virologist and clinician-scientist whose work advances understanding and management of viral disease. He brings decades of experience in viral pathogenesis, molecular virology, clinical diagnostics and infectious disease research to UNSW’s VRL.

In addition to the VRL, Prof. Rawlinson is the director of:

• Area Serology and Virology Division (SAViD), Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick 
• Virology Clinical Trials Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick 
  
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)-licensed Organ and Tissue Donation (OTDs) Service Laboratory, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick 

A major focus of Prof. Rawlinson’s work has been on congenital and perinatal viral infections, particularly cytomegalovirus (CMV). Through his research, an improved understanding of viral transmission during pregnancy, mechanisms of fetal infection, and the clinical and epidemiological impact of CMV on newborns has been gained. In turn, this has helped inform diagnostic strategies and long-term management of CMV infection.

Prof. Rawlinson has also played a leading role in respiratory virus research and outbreak response, applying viral genomics, molecular and serological methods to study influenza, RSV and emerging viruses. This work bridges laboratory science and real-world clinical application, supporting more effective surveillance and public health decision-making.

Through the VRL, Prof. Rawlinson continues to lead translational virology research with direct relevance and impact to patient care and public health. He is committed to supervising and mentoring students across medicine and science – many students who have undertaken research projects with Prof. Rawlinson have gone on to successful careers in medicine, research, diagnostic laboratories, public health and industry environments.  

Prof. Rawlinson has been awarded:

• Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his services to medical sciences
• Royal College of Pathologists Australasia Travelling Professorship (2007)
• Menzies Memorial Scholarship in Medicine (1990)
  
• Fenner Prize (2005)

Professor Maria Craig | Clinician Researcher

MB BS Melb, MMedSc(ClinEpid) Newcastle, PhD Syd, FRACP

Professor Maria Craig is a paediatric endocrinologist with the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network (SCHN) and a clinician-researcher whose primary focus is childhood diabetes. As an internationally recognised leader in diabetes research, Prof. Craig’s work integrates large longitudinal cohort studies, clinical trials and translational research to better understand how early-life viral exposures and immune responses contribute to autoimmunity and disease progression. 

In collaboration with the VRL, Prof. Craig leads the viral theme for the multicentre, nationwide Environmental Determinates of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study. Other areas of interest include the epidemiology of childhood diabetes (type 1, type 2, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and monogenic diabetes) and its associated complications. She has supervised several successful honours and PhD students and values providing opportunities for the next generation of researchers, scientists and clinicians.

Dr Charles Foster | Postdoctoral Researcher (Bioinformatics)

BSc (Adv) (Hons I, University Medal), PhD (Evolutionary Biology)

Dr Charles Foster is a senior lecturer and bioinformatician. At UNSW's VRL, he leads the development and implementation of genomics and analysis pipelines for viral surveillance. With a strong foundation in evolutionary genomics, particularly across phylogenomics, metagenomics and transcriptomics, he plays a central role in shaping how our lab interprets and uses large-scale viral sequencing data to better understand pathogen evolutions and transmission dynamics. 

Dr Foster’s work at the VRL focuses on genomic epidemiology and high-throughput analysis and surveillance of viral pathogens, in particular the classification and genomic diversity of parainfluenza viruses. He has been instrumental in building robust analytical frameworks and pipelines that support real-time sequencing, such as genomic surveillance for the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic, HIV and HCV Australia-wide sequencing for the H2Seq Study. He also contributes to research on CMV and antiviral resistance through computational approaches. Dr Foster’s work is vital in linking genomic insights with clinical and laboratory data. 

Dr Foster supports students and early-career researchers in developing bioinformatic skills and genomic workflows. His collaborative approach makes him a key bridge between computational biology and virology within our lab.

Dr Gregory Walker | Postdoctoral Researcher (Virologist)

PhD (Virology), 2022, University of New South Wales 
B Biomedical Science (Hons), 2015, University of Newcastle

Dr Gregory Walker is a virologist and lecturer based at the VRL, where he applies molecular and serological methods for the detection and characterisation of viruses of clinical significance. 

Dr Walker’s research contributes to the understanding of key respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, IFV and RSV, and how they spread, how they evolve in the community, and how host immune responses can be measured and interpreted to improve clinical and public health outcomes.

He is also an Associate Investigator within the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) Study, which is run nationwide, including at the VRL. This study follows 1500 mother-infant pairs from across Australia in which the infant has a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes. This work falls within the Virology Theme of ENDIA, in which Dr Walker investigates the association between early-life viral infections and the development of autoimmune disease.

Dr Walker is committed to student supervision at the VRL, having guided several successful honours and PhD candidates.

Dr Alice Michie | Postdoctoral Scientist

B Science, University of Western Australia, 2014
M Inf Dis 2016 (Distinction), University of Western Australia, 2016 
PhD, University of Western Australia, 2021 

At the VRL, Alice Michie has established a wastewater-based genomic surveillance protocol for SARS-CoV-2 from sentinel sites across New South Wales. Regular reporting of lineage fluctuations is given to the NSW Ministry of Health. 

She has recently joined the Kirby Institute as part of the Medical Research Future Fund-funded H2Seq project. This project aims to develop hepatitis C and HIV whole genome sequencing protocols to expand access and sharing of genomic data for cluster identification.  

Her doctoral research at University of Western Australia (2021) focused on the genomic and phylogenetic characterisation of key Australian mosquito-borne viruses in a landscape of limited genomic data availability. Ongoing research interests include wastewater-based epidemiology, arthropod-borne viruses, One Health, viral genomics and metagenomic approaches. 

Dr Michie supports students in gaining hands-on experience at the VRL, and she has successfully provided supervision for honours, master’s and PhD students.  

Malinna Yeang | Research Scientist

B Biotech (Hons)

Malinna Yeang is a research scientist working at the intersection of molecular biology, virology and genomics. She is passionate about understanding how viruses evolve and spread, and about using genomic tools to strengthen public health responses. Her research focuses on developing and applying molecular assays – such as Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing – to detect, type and track respiratory and other emerging viruses.

Malinna enjoys transforming complex genomic data into insights that inform outbreak investigations and improve disease surveillance. She has contributed to projects enhancing Australia’s capability to monitor infections like SARS-CoV-2 and enteroviruses, combining laboratory experimentation, bioinformatics and collaborative research.

As part of the TGA-licensed, 2023 NSW Premier’s Award-winning Nucleic Testing Laboratory at NSW Health Pathology in Randwick, Malinna supports high-quality molecular testing that underpins critical clinical services across NSW. In her on-call role, she performs rapid testing for blood-borne viruses in solid organ and tissue donation. This ensures transplant safety and protects both donors and recipients.

Driven by curiosity and collaboration, Malinna is committed to bridging the gap between diagnostic science and real-world public health applications. She applies her expertise to improve patient outcomes and uphold the highest standards of diagnostic excellence.

Laura Vitellaro | Laboratory Coordinator

BMedSc (Genomics and Precision Medicine)

Laura Vitellaro's experience spans both clinical trials and laboratory-based research. Her work focuses on coordinating research activities, the management of laboratory operations and workflows, and supporting scientists and clinicians to deliver high-quality, ethically sound research.

Her master's research project focused on pathogen genomics and bioinformatic workflows, aligning closely with her interests in virology and translational research.

Having worked extensively across hospital and university research environments, Laura values collaboration and takes pride in fostering a supportive, well-organised laboratory culture. She enjoys being part of multidisciplinary teams that work together to produce impactful research and improve health outcomes.

Currently completing: BMed/BSc (MBBS) at UNSW

Project: Genomic surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus from paediatric clinical cases in Sydney, Australia, during 2024

As a fourth-year medicine student at the University of NSW, Julia undertook her honours project with the VRL in 2025. The theme of her project was conducting genomic surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and scanning for instances of potential therapeutic resistance. Her focus was on RSV circulating in infants during the first winter since the approval and uptake of the recently developed monoclonal antibody (nirsevimab) and maternal vaccine (abrysvo).

Publications:

Manuscript currently in press. Stay tuned.

Doctor of Philosophy in Pathology (Scientia PhD)  

Project: Influenza dynamics from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic periods: Epidemiology and genetic characteristics

Emma joined the VRL on a UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship in 2021. Her thesis investigated the changing epidemiology and phylogeny of influenza throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which, like many other viruses, was greatly impacted by pandemic-related public health measures and travel restrictions.

Publications:

The resurgence of influenza A/H3N2 virus in Australia after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions during the 2022 season, The Journal of Medical Virology [Link:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.29922]

Genome characterization of influenza A and B viruses in New South Wales, Australia, in 2019: A retrospective study using high-throughput whole genome sequencing, Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses journal [Link: https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.13252]

B MedSc (Human Pathology)
BSc (Honors) Microbiome Research
Currently completing: Third-year PhD 

Project: Childhood viral infections associated with the development of islet autoimmunity

Hajra's project is immersed in the nationwide Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study. She is observing the association between viral infections during pregnancy and childhood and the development of islet autoimmunity longitudinally through a pan-viral serological method.  

Explore Hajra’s work:

• T1D-funded Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA)
• The ENDIA Study